GETTING MARRIED at ALL SAINTS', Basingstoke
- Can we get married at All Saints'?
- Can we get married if one of us is divorced?
- How much will it cost?
- How long will the service last and what is it like?
- How do we book a wedding?
- Renewal of vows and other services
Can we get married at All Saints'?
You can get married in All Saints' Church if either or both of you or live within the Basingstoke Team parish area. The All Saints' district is the south side of Winchester Road/London Road from Brighton Hill roundabout to the Black Dam roundabout; and as far out as the motorway. This area includes Black Dam, Fairfields, Sheppard Road, Viables, Cranbourne and Kings Furlong south of Winchester Road (King of Wessex side).
You can also usually be married at All Saints' if you live anywhere within the Basingstoke Team Parish which includes Brighton Hill, South Ham, Popley, and most of the area within the Ring Road but not Eastrop/Riverdene. Click here to open another browser window containing a map of the Basingstoke Team Parish.
If you are a member of All Saints' congregation, and worship in All Saints' regularly, you can also get married in All Saints', even if you do not live in the parish. The easiest way of showing this connection is if your name is already on the electoral roll of All Saints'.
Since October 2008, people who have had a clear link with All Saints' Church in the past may also be able to apply get married here. See the Church of England website here and the website of Basingstoke Team Parish here for more information about this.
See also the Church of England website here for more information on getting married.
Click on the image above to open a map of the Basingstoke Team Parish in a separate browser window
Can we get married if one of us is divorced?
The clergy of the Basingstoke Team Parish are prepared to talk to a couple where one or both have been married before, about why a church wedding is important to them. We do agree to marry some couples in this position, but we never book a date before having a conversation with both of you. It is usually the vicar of your local church who will have the first conversation with you, but if you do not know who this is then contact the Vicar of All Saints' who can put you in touch.
See also the Church of England website here for more information.
How much will it cost?
The cost of the service and the certificate is set by the Church of England centrally. It usually increases each January, so we cannot give exact costs until the January of the year in which you plan to marry.
There are then some extra costs, such as paying an organist, someone to be there to open and get the church ready and marriage preparation. In 2008 the basic cost of getting married at All Saints', including these costs, is £377.00.
You may also want to pay extra for bells, a choir, if you want a video. We ask you to pay a deposit of £100.00 when you book your wedding and then ask you to pay the balance by a month before the date of your wedding. We will work out with you the exact cost of your wedding when you have decided what you want.
How long will the service last and what is it like?
Most weddings take about 40 to 45 minutes, though you will want to leave time for photographs afterwards. Most couples say that the service went very quickly! A wedding is usually a really happy occasion because everyone there is a friend of yours. We try to help you make the service feel right for you both, and we also try to help you feel relaxed enough to enjoy the occasion yourselves.
We will invite you to a wedding preparation day 4 to 6 months before your wedding. Part of this day is spent in All Saints’ church explaining how the service works, and playing the sort of music or hymns you might want to choose. You will need to arrange to meet the minister who is taking your service after this and decide exactly what you would like in your service. Websites are also helpful in finding readings or music you might like, but we recommend that you do not make any definite decisions until you have been to the preparation day and talked to a minister.
You can find out more about the service here on the Church of England website.
How do we book a wedding?
Ring or e-mail the Vicar of All Saints'.
The Vicar will check whether the date you want is available and then arrange a time to meet you both to book your wedding. You will need to bring identification (eg driving licence or passport) and pay £50.00 deposit. If you cancel your wedding more than 3 months before the date we will refund £40.00.
We suggest that you also check that you can arrange a reception before you make a definite booking.
Renewal of vows and other services
Sometimes couples that have been married for some time want to make their vows again, or perhaps have a wedding ring blessed, or otherwise do something in church to mark their marriage. This might be for an anniversary, because they’ve got through a tricky time, or sometimes just to make up for not having the service they wanted in the first place.
At All Saints' we do these special services. They range from full-blown almost-wedding ceremonies with choirs and trumpeters, big frocks and fancy meals afterwards; right through to very quiet prayers with just the couple and a vicar, and everything in between. Sometimes they are on a Saturday like a wedding, sometimes on a weekday, sometimes part of our Sunday morning service and sometimes quietly after a service.
There is no fixed fee for these services, we usually encourage couples to make a donation, but if the service is like a wedding, then you should expect to pay something like a wedding fee, if its just a prayer then it is really up to you, be generous if you can, we understand if you can’t.
Just get in touch (no obligation) and tell us what you’ve got in mind, we can help you to think about what might be right for you.